D&D General What Are Dragonlance's Weis & Hickman, and Actor Manganiello Cooking Up?

Actor and D&D superfan Joe Manganiello and Dragonlance co-author Tracy Hickman have both posted a cryptic image on their respective social medias showing themselves, along with Margaret Weis standing together in front of a large dragon statue at Wizards of the Coast's offices in Renton, Washington.

Hickman's image was accompanied by the words "Something is coming...", and in Manganiello's case "WE'RE BACK", to which Wizards of the Coast replied "Welcome back to the table!" A later photograph from Weis also included Laura Hickman and Dan Ayoub, who was named head of Dungeons & Dragons back in July of this year.

The posts have sparked speculation as to what they might mean, with guesses ranging from a revival of Manganiello's Dragonlance TV show project--which was no longer in development after he stated in February 2024 that "Dragonlance is not a property WotC are interested in developing further currently"--to a new Dragonlance-based D&D adventure.

Weis and Hickman co-wrote a new Dragonlance trilogy in recent years following a legal dust-up with Wizards of the Coast which was ultimately dismissed without prejudice, so it would seem that any bad blood from the dispute has been left in the past.

The question now remains--what are they all cooking up this time?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Here’s Elmore’s depiction. Note that her skimpy outfit does not match the description of her clothing in the book. (For one thing, she’s supposed to be wearing pants!)

Weis is on record as being quite angry about the lack of pants in the art. Presumably other male gaze elements as well. I think that’s why she made a point of mentioning pants in the text.

 

[pukunui]

Weis is on record as being quite angry about the lack of pants in the art. Presumably other male gaze elements as well. I think that’s why she made a point of mentioning pants in the text.

Too bad she couldn’t get rid of more of the male gazey stuff from the books.

 

[Dire Bare]

Too bad she couldn’t get rid of more of the male gazey stuff from the books.

Well, the "male gaze" isn't binary but comes in degrees.

Having character descriptions that focus more on female beauty than on other character descriptions is one level, having sexy elves with no pants is another level above that!

 

[pukunui]

Well, the "male gaze" isn't binary but comes in degrees.

Having character descriptions that focus more on female beauty than on other character descriptions is one level, having sexy elves with no pants is another level above that!

Sure. There's also some pretty glaring sexism at play in the books. The two main blond women are virtuous, self-sacrificing and pure, remaining virgins until they marry. Meanwhile, the voluptuous redhead is rumored to be sexually active, while Kitiara's sexual prowess is noteworthy enough that Tanis gets teased about making it out her bed alive. Not only that, but Kitiara has dark hair! How shameful. The whole Laurana v Kitiara as rivals for Tanis' affections is classic Madonna v whore stuff.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Now I remember a part of the novels where a female character talked with Caramon about Tika. Caramon was told Tika was.... innocent, and if memory doesn't fail Caramon was the unique man in Tika's life. She didn't it with any more.

About the character Ginnalthas, Laurana's brother, I love him because I have got the gamebook "Lords of Doom" where he was my PC. I chose that gamebook because he was warrior+wizard. (and now I am feeling nostalgic).

I hope to watch the episode where the heroes of the lance faced the false hydra. You remember that chapter, don't you?, are you saying I dreamed it?

I dare to say most of us imagine the characters acording Elmore's pictures more than the description from the novels.

Maybe the scriptwritters added more humor to the plot with new jokes that there weren't in the original novels. Here Fizban would be the first one, but there is a good reason, he is playing to be an endearing fool. For example a joke would be Fizban crying "I choose you, shocklizard" and he summons a yellow with black rays shocker lizard. Tas also could be retouched because today the sense of humor may be a little different and something in the past could be funny but now it may be annoying.

Don't worry because we are going to watch people from different origins like in the movie "Honor among Thieves".

The main plot could be rewritten to allow space for possible spin-offs. Atlatum is practically unknown, a true sandbox. Taladas isn't too detailed, allowing space for new elements. The Krynnspace could be totally rewritten, for example adding new worlds than before they were astrail domains created and ruled by the Krynnish deities.

What if lord Soth killed Fistandalius and this would save the world? But the reward wouldn't be very fair. He could meet again his second wife and son but he is not wellcome, but they aren't in Krynn but in a new Sithicus, a dark domain that can be visited by the deity Raistlin from the postapocaliptic future, and the other supreme deity, the king-priest. If this wasn't enought troubles there is a new challenge, here the Greygem is broken and Chaos is free again, but there isn't too much to be destroyed. Lord Soth and his family in the middle of the batlefield among these three factions.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Sure. There's also some pretty glaring sexism at play in the books. The two main blond women are virtuous, self-sacrificing and pure, remaining virgins until they marry. Meanwhile, the voluptuous redhead is rumored to be sexually active, while Kitiara's sexual prowess is noteworthy enough that Tanis gets teased about making it out her bed alive. Not only that, but Kitiara has dark hair! How shameful. The whole Laurana v Kitiara as rivals for Tanis' affections is classic Madonna v whore stuff.

This wouldn't seem off to someone born in 1948 though, whereas skimpy clothing would.

A slight digression, but I find it more surprising to come across it in the Critical Role animated-series-masquerading-as-a-game Dispatch, which gives you a choice between blonde (okay this is subverted a little, but still) good girl and dark haired bad girl to romance. That's after deciding that you have to play a young straight white male protagonist. It's only half way, so maybe they will subvert it further, but still, I would have expected better with the Critical Role branding.